Hermione was furious.
She had clearly come first—so why had things turned out like this?
She watched as Ranni gave Arthur just a tiny hint that the food wasn't enough, and he immediately got up to return to the kitchen and add more dishes.
Hermione ground her teeth in anger.
Whenever she asked her cousin for something, she had to cajole and wheedle for ages.
Why was it that this girl only needed a glance for him to move?
If Arthur had known what was going through Hermione's head, he would've found it hilarious.
For one, he studied alchemy, not copper refining.
And even if he did enjoy "raising" something, he wouldn't develop any unusual feelings for a little girl barely into her teens.
At most, he simply regarded Hermione as a beloved little sister.
What tempted him was the Hermione of the future—not this young witch whose worldview was still unformed.
Both he and Ranni possessed mature souls.
Their feelings were mutual—he was her king, and he treated her like his princess. Naturally, he would pour more of his heart into her.
As for Hermione, what he felt was more like a brother's doting affection.
Any other kind of emotion would have to wait until she had grown up, until her values had matured.
But Arthur didn't realize that he had already planted a seed in the young witch's heart.
In time, it would grow into a towering tree, blooming and bearing fruit.
After all, a first love is often the most unforgettable one.
After dinner, Mrs. Granger came into Hermione's room.
"Sweetheart, why are you sulking?"
It was obvious that she, too, had noticed Hermione's strange behavior at the dinner table.
"It's all because of Ranni. Normally, I have to beg Cousin for ages before he reluctantly agrees to cook for me. But the moment she shows up, he jumps at her every request, spoiling her endlessly!"
Hermione grumbled, clearly unhappy.
As someone who had lived through it herself, Mrs. Granger quickly pieced together her daughter's feelings from her words.
But instead of trying to console her, she asked:
"Have you thought about this? Ranni is Arthur's fiancée. Of course he's supposed to do those things for her.
And besides, she just arrived today. Strictly speaking, she's our guest. Naturally, we should be treating her well."
Hermione froze, realizing her mother's words made sense.
So why was she still so angry?
Mrs. Granger smiled knowingly.
"Perhaps you're just afraid that Ranni will take away the way your cousin spoils you."
Hermione understood instantly, then fell into disappointment.
"Mum, am I a bad girl? My cousin already has a fiancée, but I still like him. I still want more of his attention."
Her confession made Mrs. Granger burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You're still so young. Do you even know what 'liking' means? There are many different kinds of liking. But whichever it is, it's still too early for you.
You're only twelve—you have plenty of time to think about this later. For now, just do as I say: treat your cousin the way you always have. You'll see, he won't treat you any differently than before."
Hermione nodded, no longer tangled up in those thoughts.
"Mum, I want to sleep with you tonight," she said, uncharacteristically coquettish.
"Of course. Tonight, I'll sleep with my darling daughter."
Mrs. Granger held her close, listening as Hermione chatted away about all the amusing things that had happened during her first year at Hogwarts.
Her eyes grew thoughtful, her mind turning.
Hermione herself hadn't noticed—but in almost every story she told, Arthur's figure appeared.
Mrs. Granger noticed it very clearly.
She adored Arthur.
From the very first time they met, she had sensed the mature air about him that didn't match his age. His polite, well-mannered behavior had left her with an excellent impression.
For a moment, he had even satisfied the fantasy she once had of raising a son.
Seeing him get along so well with Hermione brought her genuine comfort.
She had even teased her husband that perhaps their "little cabbage" would be eaten from within the family, sparing them from worrying about pigs from outside.
But then Arthur's fiancée suddenly appeared.
And it was obvious—he liked her very much.
Mrs. Granger had noticed the way Arthur looked at Ranni over dinner.
It was the exact same gaze her husband had once given her when they were young and in love.
Before speaking with Hermione, Mrs. Granger had thought about persuading her to let go of her feelings early.
But knowing Arthur as she did, she realized that was nearly impossible.
His brilliance was something she and her husband both saw clearly.
Not to mention his "Zen Garden." That alone could bring him enormous achievements, whether in the wizarding world or the Muggle world.
And that was aside from the fact that before even attending Hogwarts, he could already create magic independently.
(Arthur: Sorry, I'm running on cheat codes.)
Arthur's excellence had already carved a permanent impression in Hermione's heart.
And she still had six years to study alongside him.
Six years during which he would only grow more dazzling.
Every boy Hermione met in the future, she would unconsciously compare to Arthur—
and none of them would measure up.
To Mrs. Granger, it was only a matter of time before Hermione fell in love with him.
All she could do was delay that day for as long as possible—at least until Hermione's worldview had matured and she could understand her own feelings clearly.
At that time, whatever choice Hermione made, Mrs. Granger would support her.
Because that was her love for her daughter—the deep, unwavering love of a mother.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Ranni were also talking about Hermione.
In one corner of the Zen Garden—
Arthur had reshaped the space into a warm, cozy room.
The flow of time here had been adjusted to match the outside world, one to one.
And he had even granted Ranni the authority to enter and leave freely.
This was the home he had prepared for her.
Ranni sat on a tall stool, enjoying the loft, overlooking the feeling it gave her.
Back in her wizard's tower, she used to pile up four books on her chair just to sit higher when speaking with him.
It was one of her little quirks.
"My king," she said, "you seem like quite the greedy man."
"Oh? And why do you say that?"
Arthur was curious why she suddenly brought it up.
"That little witch called Hermione—you intend to draw her into your fold, don't you? And yet, you already have me."
"Cough, cough—don't misunderstand. I have no interest in little girls."
Ranni glanced down at her own body, then flicked her eyes back at him—
as if to say: Does that sound convincing coming from you?
"I'm serious! Even if I did have such thoughts, it would only be after she's grown up."
He hastily explained.
"Hmph. So my king really is too greedy. Already imagining what she'll be like in the future, are you?"
Arthur was struck speechless—because what she said was true.
Then, inspiration struck, and a line of romantic words slipped out:
"No matter how many stars there are in the night sky—you will always be my one and only dark moon."
The sudden declaration left Ranni completely flustered.
Now that her body had been restored, her emotions were far richer than before.
This was utterly different from the days when her soul had been bound to a puppet.
Back then, what she felt for Arthur was more of a destined certainty—an instinct that told her to serve him as her king.
But with her flesh restored, she could now feel shyness, and the sweetness of liking someone.
Blushing, she quickly changed the subject, drawing him into talk about their pasts.
And so, the two of them spent a warm, gentle night together.
What? Sleeping?
Please—one was a transcendent human, the other practically a divine being. Staying up all night was hardly a problem.
Meanwhile, two other people also didn't sleep: Mr. Granger, and that old bee Dumbledore.
Mr. Granger, because his wife had gone to comfort Hermione—and never returned.
Leaving him alone with only his pillow for company.
As for Dumbledore, his insomnia was pure paranoia.
After receiving Snape's report, he had grown immensely curious about the "ancient Eastern family" Arthur described.
But no matter how many channels he used, he couldn't find a single useful clue.
So, troubled, he tried to dig into Ranni instead.
But then he realized—Snape's letter hadn't even mentioned Ranni's surname.
No matter how hard he racked his brains, he would never guess the truth:
that Ranni and her siblings all bore the Radagon family name—the "La."
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